Come Around to Me
by easiertolie
Summary: The second she had seen Castle with that awful green and white rope around his neck she had decided to stop running. She didn't want to fight him anymore. She no longer wanted to ignore the words he thinks she doesn't remember. Mid Season 4.
1. Come Around to Me

A/N: I do not own any of this.

**Come Around to Me**

_I could lie to you all my days_

_But you're the one, you're the one_

_And I'm a fool for waiting so long to let you know..._

She wasn't sure how long she had been standing outside his door. Her fists were clenched tightly in an effort to stop her damn hands from shaking. With an unsteady breath and her heart pounding loudly against her chest she raised her hand and knocked.

_He's fine. He's fine. He's fine. _She chanted silently. With every second that passed she grew more and more anxious. Why couldn't he have just waited for her. Why couldn't he have just listened to her for once-

"Kate!"

"Hi Martha. Is he here?" Her voice was surprisingly even. None of the worry she knew was wracked across her face had seeped into her words.

"I think I heard him about twenty minutes ago. Check his office." Martha explained as she moved to let Kate in. "Is everything OK?"

"No." Kate mumbled and she quickly crossed the room not bothering to explain herself to the poor woman. She found the door was open a crack. She hesitated before confidently pushing into the room. He didn't even flinch. He was leaning against the side of his desk with a tumbler of scotch pressed to his forehead. She was prepared to yell. She had the words ready on her tongue. But the sight of his slumped shoulders caused her resolve to falter.

Castle looked defeated, utterly broken. She felt a lump form in her throat and attempted to swallow it, willing herself not to cry. She cautiously made her way toward him, trying not to startle him out of wherever his thoughts had taken him.

"Hey." He jerked at the sound of her voice, blinking several times.

"Hey." He horsed out. It was then she saw it. The angry skin around his neck where the rope had left its indentation. There was no stopping the tears now. They spilled freely as her hand came up to lightly touch the marking.

"Rick..."

"It looks..." He cleared his throat, unable to hide a wince. "And sounds, worse than it is. I'm OK." With her fingers still on his skin she looked into his eyes.

"I'm not." She spoke in a whisper. She saw his eyes go wide as he quickly scanned her body for any sign of injury. She wasn't hurt, not physically anyway. She shook her head in reassurance. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Huh?"

"I went looking for you at the scene, and when I couldn't find you-" Her voice cracked with emotion. She swallowed hard trying to regain some semblance of composure.

"I'm sorry Kate. I just...I had to get out of there. He..." Castle stopped talking and shook his head. "I'm sorry." The sincerity in his voice was echoed in his eyes. _His beautiful blue eyes._

His hands tentatively came to rest on her hips. She jumped slightly at the contact as she realized how close she was standing to him. She was practically nestled between his legs. He felt her stiffen and quickly pulled his hands back. She missed them.

The second she had seen Castle with that awful green and white rope around his neck she had decided to stop running. She didn't want to fight him anymore. She no longer wanted to ignore the words he thinks she doesn't remember.

She closed the little space left between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. One hand found its way into his incredibly soft hair, while the other drifted up and down his back in an attempt to comfort. His arms immediately circled her waist and pulled her even closer to him, burying his face in her hair.

"You gotta stop running into the line of fire." She could hear the desperation in her voice but didn't care. He could have died tonight.

"I can't-"

"Castle..." She was pleading with him.

"Kate, if you're there then I'm there. Always." She squeezed her eyes shut as fresh tears prickled behind her lids. Before she could stop it a strangled sob broke free. The patterns Castle was drawing on her lower back ceased and he squeezed her firmly to him. After a few moments he pulled back to find her cheeks wet. He gently cupped her face and wiped the salty tears away with his thumbs. She took a shaky breath and rested her forehead against his. She was about to cross a line, hell she'd already crossed at least a dozen tonight.

"Castle?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean it?" He pulled his head back and raised his eye brow quizzically urging her to elaborate. "In the cemetery." She saw it instantly. The recognition followed by the fear. He swallowed hard but maintained eye contact. She knew it was the truth before he said anything.

"Yes. I-"

Before he could finish her lips are on his. He responded in kind, gently dragging his hands up her sides. His right hand found its way into Kate's hair, the other back down to her hip. He jolted when her tongue traced his lower lip begging for entrance. He happily obliged. When air became a necessity they reluctantly broke apart, chests heaving.

It was a few heartbeats before either them opened their eyes only to find huge grins playing across each other's slightly swollen lips.

"Man, I should get nearly strangled more often." Kate choked on a laugh and then sobered immediately.

"That's not funny."

"I know." He said sincerely leaning in to press a sweet kiss to her lips.

"I love you." It was quiet but confident, her eyes never leaving his. She watched as his eyes lit up for the first time in over a week. His smile grew wider and wider.

"God, I love you too Kate..." He stood backing her gently into the bookcase, his mouth covered hers in a heated kiss. Every nerve ending in her body was on fire. She grabbed at his shirt trying to pull him as close to her as possible. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, and then followed with his tongue. He soon moved his focus to her neck finding her pulse point. A small moan slipped out without her permission and she could feel him smile against her skin. She was about to pull his mouth back to hers when the sound of a throat clearing froze them both. _Please don't be Alexis. _

"_Finally_." It was Martha looking quite pleased as she leaned casually against the door jamb. "Just wanted to let you know I'm heading out Richard. Oh and Alexis is out for the night..."

"Thank you mother." He smiled at Martha while Kate buried her head in his shoulder.

"You kids enjoy your evening." She called as she left the room.

"Oh we will." Rick whispered in Kate's ear sending a shiver down to the tips of her toes. She placed soft kisses along the bruised skin of his throat. Castle's hands found their way under her shirt massaging the sensitive skin of her lower back occasionally dipping below her waistline.

"Hey Castle?"

"Hmmm?" He resumed his attack of her neck and collarbone, playfully nipping at her flushed skin.

"In all the times I've been here, I don't think I've ever seen your bedroom." His entire body stilled and pulled away from her. A cocky grin found it's way to his face while his blue eyes darkened with desire. Without a word he laced his fingers through hers and pulled her behind him. When they reached the bedroom door he stopped abruptly and turned to her.

"Before we do this, I just have to say one more thing..."

"OK..." Her eyebrows raised in question. What could be so important that he had to say it right this second? He smiled at her confusion and pulled her flush against his body, resting his forehead against hers. He looked intently at her for a moment before taking a deep breath. Her heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest. _God, would he just spit it out already so I can take his clothes off._

"Thanks for saving my life today." Her lips quirked as she brushed a thumb across his lower lip.

"Always." She pushed past him and into his room. "Now get in here and take my clothes off." He laughed loudly and followed her.

"Yes ma'am."

_Come around come around come around come around to me_

_There's something in between you and I _

_Come around come around come around to me_

_You feel like breathing _

_Come Around to Me._


	2. Everything

A/N: I do not own any of this.

**Everything**

_How can I stand here with you_

_And not be moved by you._

Kate woke the next morning and found her self draped comfortably across the chest of Richard Castle. A pleasant tingle ran through her body as she thought of all the delicious things he had done to her the previous night and again early this morning. One thing was for sure, that man had the skills to back up his gigantic ego. Kate couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. It was perfect. He outdid every single one of her fantasies. And now she could admit (at least to herself) that yes, she had thought about him and she dreamt about him..._a lot_ in the past three years.

She placed a soft kiss over his heart and then propped her chin on her folded hands and studied his face. He looked relaxed and at peace. But the mark around his neck looked about the same as it did last night.

"Good morning, Detective." Her eyes flicked up and found Rick smiling down at her.

"Good morning." She murmured as she stretched up to kiss him. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel _really_ good," He responded, wiggling his eyebrows suggestiviely. Kate propped herself up on an elbow next to him while rolling her eyes then lightly touched his neck.

"I was talking about this." He grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips, placing a kiss in the center of her palm.

"I'm fine, I promise. Thanks to you." He winked and then pulled her to him by her waist. She reached up and lightly brushed the hair from his forehead.

"When I saw that rope around your neck-" Her voice cracked as tears simultaneously pooled in her eyes. "I-" She couldn't even voice what would she would feel if something happened to Castle. Instead she buried her face gently against his neck and tightened her hold on his shoulders.

"I'm all right Kate. He's gone now. And I'm almost 100 percent certain that he's the only serial killer I've ever pissed off so..." At this a strangled laugh escaped from Kate just as he had he hoped it would. "Nice shot by the way." He said as he dropped a kiss in her hair.

"Nobody messes with my writer." She mumbled into his skin, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Your writer, huh?" He teased.

"Damn straight." He laughed and rolled them until he was hovering over her settling himself comfortably between her thighs.

"Please tell me that evil woman gave you the day off." He asked before latching on to her neck. She arched against him suddenly breathless.

"Ms. IA?" She scoffed. "Seriously? I'll be in meetings and interviews all damn day."

"Not cool, Detective." He said, playfully nipping her shoulder. "Can I come in with you today?"

"About that..." He's mouth stopped its assault on her neck. He pulled his face back so he could look in her eyes. There was no hiding the panic in his. "Relax Rick. I'm not going to ask you to stop following me. We both know that it wouldn't make a difference anyway." The tension in his shoulders quickly dissipated. "Do you...do you think maybe we could keep this between us for a little while?" She asked shyly.

"Of course." Her eyes had migrated to where her hands rested on his chest. Rick placed a finger under her chin and brought them back up to his. "I have to tell Alexis though."

"Absolutely," she agreed. "I meant at the precinct." He nodded in understanding and she pulled him back down to her lips. They kissed lazily for a few minutes. Just as things were starting to heat up she heard the front door shut. "Is that Alexis?" The panic in her voice was evident. He chuckled at her sudden discomfort.

"No, that'd be my mother. It's pretty early for her walk of shame though. She usually doesn't roll in until after ten."

"You're sure it's not Alexis?"

"Yes, Alexis is on her way to California right now with Paige's family. And then she's spending next week with her mom." She nodded, clearly relieved. Her hands had resumed their path along his sides. He pressed a kiss firmly to her mouth and then heat that had all but cooled was reignited.

"What time do you have to be in?" He asked before latching onto her neck. She let out a groan as she wrapped her legs around his hips pulling him firmly against her. She stole a glance at the clock and realized she didn't have time to shower and finish what they had started. At least not separately.

"In an hour and I need to take a shower." He whimpered and grudgingly rocked back onto his knees. Her ankles now hooked at his lower back and her chest heaving.

"Tease."

She smirked and slowly pulled herself up until she was straddling his thighs.

"I'm pretty sure you need a shower too Castle." She whispered against his lips. He shot up so quickly she squeaked. "Castle!" His hands firmly gripped her ass as he walked purposefully toward his bathroom. She tightened her grip on both his hips and shoulders.

"Hey you started it babe."

...

Forty five minutes later they were waiting for the elevator in his hallway.

"Are you sure you're OK with not telling anyone right away?" She didn't want him to think it had anything to do with him. Even though her coworkers think they're so stealthy she's known about the bets since day one. And she knew when they find out her and Rick were going to ribbed and prodded mercilessly. So, selfishly she wants to keeps this to herself. Just for a little while.

"Yes." He said, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his side. "I don't want to share us with anyone quite yet either." She could feel the blush flood her face. Him and his words. "Plus, trying to keep this from a bunch of detectives is going to be _fun_." When elevator arrived he laced his fingers with hers before stepping in. "How long do you think until Ryan and Esposito figure it out?"

"Those two won't figure it out until we want them to. Lanie on the other hand..."

He threw his head back and laughed loudly. Then he tugged on her hand until she couldn't get any closer.

"I love you." His sudden mood change threw her a bit. His eyes cut right through her and a lump rose in her throat. Having finally gotten to this point she'll never understand why she fought it for so long. There were no awkward moments. Everything just felt incredibly right. She was happy. Probably for the first time since before her mom died. Unable to find adequate words for these feelings surging through her she decided to show him. She pushed him into the corner of the elevator and kissed him with everything she had. He groaned into her mouth and gripped her hips tightly. She broke the kiss just before the doors opened into the lobby. Leaving her lips lightly against his she returned the sentiment.

"I love you too." She then turned and exited the elevator leaving Castle out of breath and looking disheveled. "Oh and Castle? Don't forget my coffee, _babe.'_" Finally finding his voice and legs Castle stuck his arm out to stop the doors from shutting.

"Yes dear." He called out after her. She didn't stop or even turn around so he couldn't see the smile plastered to her face.

_'Cause your all I want_

_You're all I need_

_You're everything_


	3. Feels Like Home

Thank you very much for the reviews and all the alerts! They're very motivating, so keep 'em coming :)

A/N: I don't own any of this

**Feels Like Home**

_There's something in your voice_

_Makes my heart beat fast_

_Hope this feeling last_

_The rest of my life_

Castle arrived at the precinct almost an hour later. He found Kate already working on the large pile of paperwork that was necessary when an officer shoots and kills a suspect. She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't hear him approach and jumped slightly when he set an extra-large coffee in front of her.

"Good morning Detective."

"Hey Castle."

"That's a lot of paperwork..." He commented as he thumbed through a stack. "This is all for Tyson?" She lightly slapped his hand away.

"Yes, because _someone_ felt it necessary to antagonize a psychopath." He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. He was about to comment on how the night hadn't ended too badly when Ryan and Esposito emerged from Gates' office.

"Castle, what are you doing here bro? How's the neck?" Esposito questioned sounding rather concerned. Castle absentmindedly brought a hand to the bruised skin swallowing a wince because he could feel Kate's eyes on him.

"It's good."

"What are you doing here? We figured you'd stay home today." Ryan asked. The boys eyes darted between him and Beckett. He saw her stiffen out of the corner of his eye and fought a smirk.

"My mother doesn't know what happened and I don't feel like explaining quite yet."

They both nodded in understanding and went to tackle their own mountains of work. Castle waited until they were out of earshot and discretely leaned forward. "You are so going to be the one to give us away." He teased quietly.

"I _am not, _" she hissed.

"Uh, you are too. Especially if you don't stop looking at me like you've seen me naked."

A blush made its way up her neck and kissed her cheeks. She shook it off and glared at him. He simply smiled back at her knowingly.

"Wanna-" Before she could finish Captain Gates stuck her head out of her office and called for Kate. She sighed heavily and mentally prepared herself. Last night was not something she wanted to relive. "Don't go anywhere, she'll probably want a statement from you as well."

"Ok, I'll be right here." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Have fun!"

She rolled her eyes at him before disappearing through the door.

...

While Kate was meeting with Gates, Castle played with his phone. Alexis called to let him know she made it to California all right. He could have patted himself on the back for how well he handled that conversation. He made it twenty minutes without tipping his hand. She suspected nothing out of the ordinary. He kept reminding himself that she was on vacation and didn't need to worry about him. He would explain everything when she got back, so it wasn't really lying. He had also decided to wait to tell her about him and Kate until she got back. The tension Kate's shooting caused between all three of them had long since dissipated. So while he was almost positive she would approve he wanted to see her face when she found out.

Rick was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Gates' door click open. Her eyes immediately found his. She looked shaken. She held his gaze for a moment longer and then walked straight past him into the break room. He hesitated just a second and then followed her. He was glad to see it was empty apart from them when he found her gripping the countertop with her eyes shut.

Castle took a quick look around and saw no one coming. The blinds were also conveniently shut. He approached her quietly pressing his chest to her back setting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her relax against him, leaning into his touch.

"Hey, you OK?" He whispered. She took a shaky breath as he wound his arms around her waist. She nodded and turned in his arms.

"Yeah, I'm good." She gave him a small smile and gently brushed her lips across his. "C'mon..." She lightly pushed against him and away from the counter making her way back into the bullpen.

...

He sat quietly beside her the rest of the day alternating between Angry Birds and jotting down plot points on a notepad. Every so often one of them would sneak a glance at the other, careful to keep their smiles brief. Finally around 6:30 Kate dropped her pen stretched her arms above her head pushing her chest out and yawning loudly. When she looked at Castle he was looking too far south of her face to be considered work appropriate.

"Eyes up Castle," she snapped. His eyes flew to hers as a teasing smile played on her lips. She got up and headed toward the restroom. After taking only a few steps her phone buzzed in her pocket. Her eyebrow quirked as she opened a text message from Castle.

_**Tease. **_

She bit her lip and typed a response.

_**Let's get out of here. ;)**_

She heard the scrape of his chair against the floor as he stood up quickly. She smiled to herself, shaking her head. It's crazy how much can change in 24 hours. If someone would have told her she would be genuinely flirting with Castle right now she would have laughed in their faces. Wanting to be with Rick and actually being with him were two very different things. She had been thinking about them in the abstract for so long she started believing it would never really happen.

When she returned from the restroom she found Castle standing awkwardly next to Ryan and Esposito.

"Hey Beckett, Ryan and Esposito think we should go get some drinks, you know because I didn't die yesterday." She bit her lip to keep from laughing at his monotone delivery. He was not even trying to hide his distain for the idea. His eyes widen urging her to help stop this night out from coming to fruition.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds like fun." The little hope on his face dropped instantly. "But I can't stay too late, I have _things_ to do tonight." She said as she grabbed her coat striding past them. "I'll meet you guys at the Haunt? I gotta run home first."

...

Being that it was only a Tuesday night the Old Haunt was pretty dead. Aside from a bartender and a hand full of regulars they had the place to themselves. After a couple rounds Ryan and Esposito had finally found their way to the dart board giving Castle and Beckett their first moment alone since the break room earlier that day.

Castle twisted to make sure the detectives are thoroughly distracted before turning back to Kate.

"Hi," he whispered, finding her much closer to him that she was a moment earlier.

"Hi." Castle leaned forward capturing her lips with his. He meant to keep it quick, but as he began to pull back she grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket holding him to her. He grinned against her lips when she sighed. She smelled so good and all he wanted to do was get her someplace where he didn't have to worry about who saw them.

"Kate, can we _please _get out of here already?" She gave him a small smile and a nod. "_Thank God." _He grabbed her hand and moved to exit the booth.

"Hold on there stud. We can't leave together. Especially if we want to keep tweedle dee and tweedle dum over there in the dark."

"Ah, right. Ok, you say you have to get home to do those _things_ you have to do," he said winking at her. "And I'll wait fifteen minutes and meet you..."

"I went home to pack a bag Rick, so...your place?"

She packed a bag. He never in a million years would have thought being with Kate would have been so easy.

He grinned and pressed an open mouthed kiss on her neck. She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and guided him back to her lips kissing him quick and hard.

"Please tell me I'm one of the things you have to do tonight." He mumbled against her lips. She pulled back from him and looked him up and down then leaned back in.

"Oh, most definitely," she punctuated her statement with a kiss and he groaned into her mouth. She followed him out of the booth and started towards the door.

"See you boys tomorrow," she called over her shoulder. Rick could have sworn her hips swayed just a little more than usual. His eyes were locked on her perfect ass when Esposito pushed his shoulders lightly breaking his gaze. They both just shook their heads. Luckily it wasn't the first time they'd caught him ogling her _ass_ets. They finished their beers and all called it a night. He grabbed a cab and was home in less than fifteen minutes.

Rick found Kate leaning against her parked Crown Vic right in front of his building. An overnight bag sat at her feet while her hands dug deep into her pockets seeking warmth. The smile that graced her face when she saw him caused his heart to beat hard against his ribcage. He strode confidently toward her trapping her body between his and the car. He gently cupped her face in his hands and then kissed her like he had wanted to all day. Their tongues soon joined the dance and battled for dominance. When she pressed her hips to his he decided it would be a good time to move things upstairs. He pulled back from her, chuckling at the small whimper of protest that escaped from her and reached down for her bag. With interlaced hands they made their way inside. As they waited for the elevator she leaned into his side and he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I still can't believe this is actually happening." He said so quietly, almost like a prayer. She squeezed his hand knowing exactly what he meant.

"Me either."

_And if you knew how happy you are making me_

_I never thought that I'd love anyone so much_


	4. About Damn Time

A/N: I do not own any of this.

Also, if you've been looking up the songs you will not find this one. It's a song I wrote. I found it fitting for the chapter so I used it. So I guess I do own some of it. :) It is an actual finished song that I just recorded a demo of. You can find a link to it in my profile.

Also, thank you for all the reviews and favorites/alerts!

**About Damn Time**

_You're everything I thought I didn't want_

_And all the things I know now that I need_

"Kate, _relax._ Alexis will be fine with this. I'm almost certain."

"_Almost_ certain?" Kate scoffed. She was adorably nervous about Alexis' return the following day and the teen's subsequent reaction to the new status of their relationship. While Kate understood Rick wanting to tell her in person, part of her wished he'd just done it over the phone so she'd know already. There was also the matter of telling her about the whole Tyson incident. After Alexis very passionately expressed her reservations about her dad playing cop, Castle had been making an effort to avoid dangerous situations. And to his credit, he had been doing pretty well. But when he walked into the bullpen three weeks ago and saw Tyson's photo taped to the murder board all bets were off. And she understood. He felt personally responsible for the deaths of the two new victims. Kate made sure to mention several times over the week that none of it was his fault. But she knew from experience that doesn't really help. Thankfully the bruise on his own neck had almost completely faded. The only reason Beckett still noticed it was because she knew it was there.

The last two weeks had been amazing. Kate had never felt so comfortable in a relationship before. Although she wasn't so naive to not realize that they had been living in a bubble. The only person who knew about them was Martha and she had been sworn to secrecy. Isolated or not they had found a rhythm that worked for them. Aside from a girls night with Lanie and a mystery writer's poker game they hadn't spent a night apart.

They had the early morning body drops perfectly choreographed. When a call would come in Kate would get in the shower first while Rick fixed her coffee and breakfast to go. By the time he was showered and at the crime scene, an appropriate amount of time had passed so as not to raise any suspicion. The strict no touching rules while at the precinct actually worked to their benefit. By the time they were ready to go home they were both so hot and bothered they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Now Kate sat perched on Castle countertop sipping on a delicious and probably very expensive glass of wine. Rick was cooking them pasta after closing a difficult case. He set the spoon he had been using to stir the sauce across the pot and nudged his way between her dangling legs. She smiled at him and draped her arms around his shoulders.

"It'll be fine, I promise." He said as he ran soothing hands along her outer thighs. She began playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck while biting her lip. "What are you thinking about?" He asked, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"She was so angry with me Rick."

"I know, but she was also just scared. And we've talked about it. She understands now why I won't walk away. Why I _can't _walk away. And she _likes_ you. I think the adjective she used was badass."

"Alexis did _not_ say ass," Kate laughed. Rick smirked at her.

"Oh, yes she did. And I'd have to agree. You are pretty badass." Rick said as he kissed his way along her jaw. He stopped at her ear gently pulling her lobe between his teeth. "And so sexy," he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver through her body. She turned her face and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," she smiled at him. "What are you going to tell her about Tyson? I-I didn't do my job. I promised her you wouldn't get hurt..."

"That was not your fault Kate. And I'm fine. I'm going to tell her what happened and she'll be upset. Probably more upset that I didn't tell her sooner. And you did to do your job. There was no way anyone was going to keep me away from that case."

"I know, but..."

"Nope, no buts. I think you shooting him right between the eyes was more than enough on your part." He punctuated his statement with a soft kiss to her mouth. "Like I said, _badass._" She smiled against his lips and then deepened the kiss while wrapping her legs around his hips. A few moments later she pulled back and grinned at his protesting whimper. She then leaned over the stove turning off the burners. When she returned to her previous position Rick's eyes had darkened considerably. She resumed kissing him running her hands through his hair while his hands found their way under her shirt. Kate scooted as far forward as she could while still remaining on the counter and tightened her hold on him. Rick groaned into her mouth at the contact.

They were so wrapped up in each other neither one of them heard the front door.

"Father."

Castle and Kate froze. Alexis Castle stood next to her suitcase with a teasing grin. After all the time he'd interrupted her and Ashley...

"Alexis! Wh-what are you doing here?" He squeaked. Kate was thankfully sitting with her back to the girl and once again found herself hiding in Castle's shoulder and releasing him from her legs. This was so much worse than Martha. Rick was supposed to tell Alexis by _himself_ about them after he picked her up from the airport the next day.

"Mom has an audition here tomorrow morning so I thought I'd surprise you." She couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice. "Dad, aren't you going to introduce me to your _friend?_" At this Kate realized how ridiculous she was being. She slowly turned toward the red-head.

"Hey, Alexis..." Rick squeezed her leg in encouragement as Alexis' eyebrows rose in shock.

"Detective Beckett, hi!"

"Alexis, _please_ call me Kate." The girl just nodded her acquiesce. All three of them stared awkwardly at each other for what had to have been the longest minute of Kate's life.

"Um, I'm just gonna go put my stuff upstairs..."

"Yeah, we were just about to eat dinner," Castle pointed to the quickly cooling pasta. "Join us?"

"Sure, I'll be right back down." Up until now Alexis' face had been blank. She allowed a smile to slowly spread across her face. As she turned toward the stairs she yelled over her shoulder. "About damn time..."

Kate and Rick both laughed loudly. Kate then pushed him away after a quick peck and hopped off the counter smoothing her clothes and hair. Rick turned the stove back on and resumed stirring. Kate let out the air she seemed to have been holding hostage and took a large gulp of wine. Rick smile down at her and bumped her hip.

"I told you she'd be fine." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you embarrassed? If she had just been a few minutes later..." She shuddered at the thought of how awkward that situation would have been.

"Do you know how many time I've walked in on her and Ashley making out. I _owe_ her," he responded. Kate laughed and leaned into his side. "Thank you," he added quietly. She furrowed her brow and looked up at him.

"For what?"

"For caring about her," he said sincerely. Kate smiled softly.

"It's not hard, she's a great kid," she returned with a shrug.

"I love you," he sighed. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he placed a kiss against her temple.

"Love you too."

They stood there for a moment before Castle suddenly stiffened.

"What's wrong?"

Castle closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Did Alexis say Meredith is in town?" He asked, his face already skewed with a wince. Kate pulled away and studied his face. He looked like he was in pain.

"I think she did." Rick groaned. "I hope you've lost your appetite for deep-fried twinkies," Kate teased. He smirked and backed her into the counter.

"Most definitely." He said as he covered her mouth with his, kissing her soundly.

_You came from out of nowhere_

_Took me by surprise_

_I never thought I'd see the day_

_Where you would become mine _

_But here we are_

_And I have to say_

_It's about damn time_


	5. First In Line

A/N: I don't own any of this.

Thank you for all the reviews and favorites/alerts. I'm sorry for the slight delay with this chapter. I just moved on Saturday and have finally settled in.

**First In Line**

_I've seen you, I've kissed you_

_In two hours, I've missed you_

_I'll take it, I'll make it_

_I'll give you all_

Kate is jarred from a deep sleep by the loud ring and vibration of a cell phone against the bedside table. A rumble of annoyance pushed from Castle's chest through to her back. She rolled her closed eyes as she blindly reached for the offending device. She forced an eye open to find that for once it wasn't her phone disturbing their slumber.

"S'for you. Alexis," she mumbled sleepily.

"Huh?" He said suddenly much more alert. He sat up quickly displacing her from his warm arms. "Alexis?"

She half listened as he talked with his daughter. At some point in the conversation she glanced at the clock. It was almost seven and she didn't have to be at the precinct today unless a body dropped.

Why was Alexis calling him? The girl had slept there last night. After being incredibly embarrassed at being caught by the teenager, dinner had gone quite well. She was amazed at how mature Alexis was about the whole thing. At one point Alexis even pulled her aside and apologized for her reaction to everything that had happened in May. Kate had assured her she had every right to be concerned.

_"Kate? Could I talk to you for a second?" Alexis asked when Castle had ducked into his office to take a phone call from Paula._

_"Of course." Kate braced herself for the worst. She knew she'd feel the same way if she were in Alexis' shoes._

_"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted after...everything," Alexis said while looking down at her hands. Kate took a step closer to her and touched her shoulder._

_"It's OK Alexis. I understand. I just...I just want you to know that I love your father." Alexis' eyebrows rose at the casual way those words fell from Kate's mouth. "I can't get him to stop following me, I've tried, believe me. And I do like having him around. He makes my job so much easier. But, if something-" She swallowed the lump that seemed to materialize whenever thoughts of Castle hurt found their way into her head. "-happened to your dad, I wouldn't be OK. At all. So I do promise to do _everything_ I can to make sure he comes home every night, OK?" _

_Alexis smiled softly at her and nodded._

_"Thanks. And I am really happy for both of you. Just maybe no more traumatizing moments like tonight if at all avoidable?" Kate felt herself blush and nodded in agreement._

_"Yeah, sorry about that," Kate mumbled as Castle finally re-emerged from his office._

The rest of the night flowed effortlessly. Kate loved watching Rick with Alexis. There was no denying he was a great father. Even in the beginning when she found his unwelcome presence in her life irritating at best she could see it. She was glad the girl had decided to wait until the fall to leave for college. Alexis already had enough credits so she still graduated early. After everything that had happened it gave both her and her father a chance to spend some real quality time together before she left to attend Stanford.

"What?" He groaned into the phone. "You let her in?" At this Kate rolled over at propped herself up on an elbow. "No, pumpkin. It's alright. Have fun with Gram today." He hung up the phone and let his head fall backward into the headboard sighing.

"What is it?" She asked lifting her head from the pillow.

He didn't move a muscle or even open his eyes.

"Meredith is here-" Right on cue a woman could be heard yelling down the hallway. Kate's eyes went wide and she looked around as if searching for a place to hide.

"Well, go stop her before she comes in here!" Kate squeaked.

"Babe..." She leveled a glare at him for trying to be cute. "I'm naked... although it's not like she hasn't seen it before." He made a move to leave the bed when Kate gripped his forearm. He grinned smugly at her.

"Hey, just lay down facing that way," he said pointing away from the door. She did as she was told, burrowing down under the covers as he pulled them up around her shoulders and lightly pushed her hair over her face. "Just pretend your still sleeping while I get rid of her-"

"Richard!" Meredith came bursting through the door as Kate sunk even further into Rick's mattress.

"Meredith..." Castle seethed, not even trying to hide his irritation. "Ever think about calling before you come over?"

"Uh-" She stumbled finally noticing he wasn't alone. She recovered quickly. "I'll just wait in the kitchen."

"Great. Give me a few minutes." Rick said, flatly. Kate heard the door click shut again and was about to turn toward him when she felt him pulling her hair back from her face. "Sorry about that, don't worry she won't know it's you." He leaned down brushing her neck with his lips. "Be right back."

Kate was suddenly annoyed. She knew they agreed to keep their relationship quiet for the time being but now she felt a little dirty. A loud ring interrupted her thoughts, it was apparently her phone's turn.

"Beckett." It was Esposito. So much for a day off. She got up and headed for Rick's very large and luxurious shower silently hoping that his ex-wife would be gone before she had to leave. As she went to rinse the conditioner from her hair she heard the bathroom door open and seconds later felt Rick pressing into her back.

"Sorry, she's gone." He mumbled into her neck. She let him continue his assault on her pulse point a few seconds longer before shrugging him off.

"Not now. I got called in." She said as she turned and stepped back into the spray to rinse her hair.

"What? You're supposed to have the day off!" He stuck his lower lip out in an adorable pout.

"Yeah well, I can't help it that someone decided it was necessary to commit murder today."

"I know...I can come right?" He asked eagerly. She rewarded him with a smile.

"Of course you can come. I don't know how interesting it's going to be though."

"You'll be there so I'll be fine."

He grabbed her hips and pulled her against him kissing her thoroughly. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck trying to find the words that would make her look less pathetic and petty than she currently felt.

"So what did Meredith want?" She tried so hard to sound casual. If she was unsuccessful Rick didn't seem to notice.

"Just to say hi. She's leaving right after her audition, so she stopped by to say goodbye to Alexis and barged right in." Kate nodded and gazed someplace past his face.

"What did you tell her about me?" She could kick herself for the vulnerability drenching her question. Castle smiled softly and bent down to force eye contact.

"I told her you were my girlfriend but left out your name. I'm sure you could already tell this, but that woman has a big mouth and I didn't want us to end up on Page Six tomorrow. I know I'm not really all that famous but this," he gestured between them. "Will unfortunately be a big deal." Kate's eyes went wide. She hadn't even thought about that being a possibility. Suddenly his actions made perfect sense. He was trying to hide her for her own good. He saw all this flash across her face and tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry, Alexis won't say anything. We're good for now. Plus no one at the precinct is even a little suspicious. Which if you ask me is a little worrisome. They are all detectives after all." He assured her with a smile. Kate chuckled.

"I don't want to tell anyone yet. I like us." She said softly. He pressed a kiss to the tip of nose and grinned.

"I like us too."

She covered his mouth with hers and walked him backward until he was pressed against the shower wall.

"Whoa, Kate. I thought we had a body to get to?" He was breathless and cursing himself for mentioning it when she broke away from him and turned toward the shower door.

"Crap," she mumbled under her breath.

He smirked behind her as she quickly toweled off. Her eyes locked on his through the mirror and she noticed his smug grin.

"Oh shut up and go make me some coffee."

He winked at her giving her bottom a light slap before removing himself from the temptation of a very naked Kate Beckett.

_I'll give you_

_All of me_

_I'll make you mine_

_If you'll take me_

_And make me_

_Your first in line_


	6. Waking Life

**Waking Life**

_There's an anchor that's pulling on my heart_

_And it's deep in the water but it can't take me down_

_Tracin' faces with fingers and we're just the same as we were_

_Just our eyes never found what I see now_

Kate Beckett was exhausted. After forty eight grueling hours they had finally gotten their guy. She shuddered thinking of the small boy's broken body. It had been horrible. And the worst part was Rick wasn't there for any of it. It was in a way a blessing she supposed. He shouldn't be exposed to such tragic cases. He wasn't a cop. He didn't need those images burned into his brain. She was happy to carry the burden for both of them. It was after all _her_ job.

Rick had taken Alexis to visit Stanford two days ago. He had insisted she make one visit to the school where seeing Ashley wasn't the main focus. He wished she'd at least pretend for his sake to be a little objective.

For the first time in almost two months Kate had to go home to an empty apartment and a cold bed after a long day. She didn't like it. Which she hated. She hated that she needed him so badly. It wasn't like her. Kate Beckett was strong and independent. But with one look from Rick Castle she melted. She hated it, but she loved him more.

They had barely sat down at the Old Haunt when Lanie began grilling her.

"So when does Castle get back?" She was certain that Lanie knew nothing, but was still extra careful around her. Kate's poker face was always firmly in place around the ME. Lanie saw much less of her and Castle than the boys but seemed to have a sixth sense for anything regarding the two of them. Rick had played his role perfectly over the last two months. He never initiated affection at the precinct, but was happy to humor her when she occasionally broke her own rules. This last case would have definitely been one of those instances.

"I think he might be back already. He said it was just a two day trip. Haven't heard from him though," Kate said draining the rest of her first beer before excusing herself to the restroom. She was glad Lanie didn't offer to join her, because she wasn't actually going to the bathroom.

Castle was already back. She had texted him their plans when she was leaving the twelfth and he said he'd wait for her in the office. Kate ducked down into the hidden basement after making sure no one was watching. Castle was sitting at his desk writing on a notepad. Pausing first to make sure she hadn't been heard Kate snuck up behind him wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He jumped slightly at the contact before gripping her forearms.

"Hey," she whispered into his ear before nipping at his neck. He tugged on her arm pulling her around the chair and into his lap. A smile spread across his face at the cute little squeak that escaped her.

"Hey yourself," he said before pressing a kiss to her lips. "I missed you." She ran a finger over his eyebrow looking into his eyes.

"I missed you too." She leaned in kissing him slow and sweet. She had _really _missed him. "How was your trip?"

"It was good. I hate to admit it, but it's a good school. She really liked it."

She smiled softly at the defeat in his voice.

"You still have until September," she murmured. He smiled sadly at her.

"I know..." He sighed dramatically before shaking his head. "Anyway, I take it from the celebratory drinks you got the guy?" She nodded slowly.

"Yes. We did." There was little joy in her words. The silver lining was he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else, but it still did nothing to bring the little boy back.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Kate shook her head and rested her forehead against his.

"I'm just glad you're here now." They sat like that for a few minutes longer before Kate remembered she was supposed to be in the bathroom. "I need to get back up there so that you can randomly stop by and then join us." He nodded kissing her one more time.

"I really really missed you," he breathed.

"I really really missed too. And later tonight, I'm going to show you just how much." He swallowed hard and nodded eagerly. "But until then you've got to get your game face on." She pushed herself off his lap and turned toward the stairway. "Lanie's here." She grinned at him over her shoulder before she began ascending the old staircase.

"Finally! A real challenge."

...

Castle waited another twenty minutes or so before he snuck up the stairs and out the back door. He circled the block and then casually entered through the front door.

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?" Castle said as he pulled a chair up to the end of the booth. He waived at the waitress and ordered a drink.

"Yo, Castle. How was California?" Esposito inquired.

"Good. Still too far away, but what are you gonna do? The baby bird is ready to leave the nest," he stated sadly. Kate had to physically restrain herself from comforting him. Instead she gripped her beer bottle tightly. She was so wrapped up in trying to control herself she didn't notice Lanie, who had definitely realized something was different about her friend. The change was small, nearly imperceptible, but it was there.

They stayed for another few rounds before heading home. Lanie watched intently as they headed out. Just as they reached the door Castle pulled back and mumbled something about his office.

"Alright, see ya." Kate sounded completely casual, her eyes locking with his.

It was the eye sex that convinced Lanie she wasn't just seeing things. Castle and Beckett maintained eye contact for about ten seconds too long this time.

...

Kate waited for Rick in her car. Everyone else had left none the wiser. Maybe Castle was right. The boys should have at least suspected _something _by now. They were detectives after all. It had been two months already. She was trying to decide whether or not they should just tell everyone when Castle slipped into the seat next to her. She turned to face him but before she could say anything his mouth was on hers. His hand slipped to the back of her neck holding her to him. He sucked gently on her lower lip and then pushed his tongue into her mouth. God, she had missed him. And after only two days? Pathetic. They finally broke apart for some air.

"My place?" She asked breathless. He didn't even try and speak, choosing to nod his agreement instead. She drove quickly to her apartment trying hard to pay attention to the road and not to his hand that was caressing her inner-thigh. She found a parking spot easily and they both quickly exited the car. She reached the door of her building first, fumbling her keys. He wrapped his arms around her waist and latched onto her neck. She paused for a moment taking a shaky breath and then finally managed to get the door open. Castle remained hanging off her back as they stumbled toward the elevator. Once inside she slipped a hand up into his hair pulling his head around to her mouth. He turned her in his arms pressing her against the doors. The ding that sounded as they reached her floor caused them both to jump back. Laughing she backed out of the elevator grabbing the front of his shirt forcing him to follow. He grinned at her before kissing her again.

"Oh. My. God."

Kate jumped at the voice. Her eyes went wide and she shoved a bewildered Castle back into the elevator just before the doors shut. She whispered an apology just before his disappeared behind the metal. She took a steadying breath and turned toward her apartment to find a very smug Lanie leaning against her door. Before she could even move Lanie made her way toward Kate.

"Who was that?"

"Who was who?" Kate asked innocently.

"Seriously?" She pursed her lips and pushed the down button. Much to Kate's horror the doors opened to Castle with his back against the wall, eyes shut tight, as if that made him invisible. Lanie let out a loud laugh and Kate couldn't help but join her. Rick comically opened just one eye before the other joined and he visibly relaxed.

"You couldn't have pressed the L button Rick?" Kate teased, casting a sideways glance in her best friend's direction.

"Uh, sorry." He mumbled before turning to the ME. "Hey Lanie, how's it going?" He asked casually.

"Everything is great _Rick._" Lanie answered as the doors of the elevator began to close again. Kate stuck a hand in and pulled Castle out. He settled into her side wrapping an arm around her waist. "Well aren't you two just adorable." Kate blushed while Rick just smiled brightly. "I'm going to let you two get back to it, but I expect details tomorrow girl." Kate gave the ME a slight nod.

"Oh, could you not say anything about this yet? Please?" Kate asked. Lanie narrowed her eyes studying her friend then shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure." She said slowly with a look that meant Kate would have to further explain why. They watched as the doors finally slid shut. The second Lanie was out of sight Kate pulled his mouth back to hers. He walked her backwards to her door laughing in between kisses.

"You were right, she's good. I didn't even touch you tonight!" He said, clearly impressed by Lanie's skills.

"Told you. Plus she's been telling me to 'jump you' since our first case together." She opened her door dragging him in behind her.

"Really?" He looked like he was going to keep talking so Kate put a finger to his lips.

"Uh-huh. Now do you want to talk about it? Or can I just jump you?" She said with a smirk as she undid the buttons of his shirt.

"_God, _I missed you."

_And here comes the night pulling puppet string on my heart again_

_Shows me all of this time I've been blind to this waking life_

_Now I see it everywhere_


	7. They Bring Me to You

A/N: I do not own any of this.

Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. You guys are great.

**They Bring Me to You**

_It's all about the first night and last_

_Some people say_

_Well I love you so much more tonight_

_more than yesterday_

"_Two months!" _Lanie all but screamed, her voice echoing throughout the cold morgue.

"Shhh! And yes, two months." Kate mumbled. She hadn't really thought about Lanie being upset. She assumed her friend would give her that 'I told you so' look and a hug. She was wrong.

"You have been sleeping with Richard _freaking_ Castle for two months and you never thought to tell me?" Kate winced and dropped her head.

"I'm sorry! We didn't tell _anybody._ The boys don't know. Martha and Alexis know, but only because they both caught us as well." Kate said under her breath. Lanie unsuccessfully tried to suppress a laugh.

"And why the hell do you want to hide it anyway? Are you embarrassed?"

"What? No! Not at all. I just-_we_ have both been listening to people tell us for years that we should just get together already and _we_ decided to keep it quiet for a little bit. You know, enjoy it before all the 'I told you so's' come rolling in."

"Well you could've told me. I thought we were friends." Lanie pouted. But Kate wasn't about to feel guilty over this. What happened between her and Castle was their business and no one else's.

"Really? How much money do you have riding on me hooking up with Castle?" She raised an eyebrow, glaring at her friend.

"Uh, you know about that?" Lanie said sheepishly.

"I am a detective Lane, and you guys aren't as discreet as you think."

"Anyways...two months huh? That's..." The smile slid right off Lanie's face. "...Jerry Tyson."

"Jerry Tyson." Beckett confirmed with a nod.

"Oh, Kate. So, I'm guessing seeing Castle...that was your big moment of realization?" Kate's eyebrows rose as Lanie tried to make sense of what could be called the catalyst of her relationship with Rick.

"Realization? No. Acceptance maybe. That epiphany you're referring to happened a _long_ time ago." Kate said, unwilling or possibly unable to look Lanie in the eye.

"How long ago are we talking?" Lanie asked firmly crossing her arms. Kate glared at the ME.

"Not gonna-" Before Kate could even refuse to answer the question the doors of the morgue swung open and Castle came crashing in after them.

"Good morning ladies." He smiled at them, handing Kate her coffee. She smiled back at him, silently thanking him for ending this interrogation.

"Hey." She said shyly, not forgetting Lanie was watching them.

"Hey," he whispered back. He cast a sideways glance at Lanie not sure of what he was allowed to do. Kate rolled her eyes and grinned. She then grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to her pressing her lips chastely to his.

"Seriously, I'm getting a tooth ache over here," Lanie teased. "So how much longer until you guys come clean?" Castle and Beckett looked at each other and shrugged.

"I don't know. Your boyfriend and his boyfriend haven't noticed a thing." Kate said smirking.

"Ha. Ha. If you guys are waiting for them to figure it out you might be waiting awhile. And since this happened two months ago that means I won and I'd like to collect my winnings."

"You won the bet?" Castle asked. Kate and Lanie both turned to him.

"You knew about that too?" Kate said poking him hard in the chest.

"Ouch, yes." He said rubbing the spot where Kate's finger had just been.

"Did you have money riding on this?" Her tone getting cooler by the syllable.

"What? No of course not! I didn't want to jinx myself."

"Jinx yourself?"

"Yeah, if I placed a bet on when you'd finally give me a shot it never would have happened." He said quietly. Her face softened.

"_Yes_ it would have." She said sincerely. It was always a matter of when, not if with them. _Always._ They were in the middle of one of their silent conversations when her phone rang.

"Beckett." She listened to Esposito for a moment, thanked him and hung up. "We've got a witness interview to get to," she said to Castle. "Bye Lanie."

"Bye," she said smirking. "Hurry up and let the cat out of the bag already so we can double date." Kate groaned and rolled her eyes.

"_That_ is why I didn't tell you," she said as she pushed through the doors. Castle hung back nodding enthusiastically while giving the ME two thumbs up. " I saw that Castle."

...

Kate Beckett was _not _jealous. So what if their witness ended up being an old acquaintance of Castle's. Who cares that she looked like she had modeled for Victoria Secret at some point in her early twenties and was now shamelessly flirting with him. She didn't.

Castle kept shooting her glances durning the interview as Kate was treating their witness more like a suspect. He looked nervous. She knew she looked pissed off. Which she was. If the boys weren't watching from the observation room she might have said something to the woman. Tell her back off. And _yes_ they had a witness in the interrogation room. But it wasn't her being petty. It was the only open and semi-private place to talk at the moment. Every other designated interview area was otherwise occupied.

The woman, _Jessica, _ended up being useless. She knew nothing pertinent to the case. As she was leaving the precinct she not so discreetly slipped her card into the front pocket of Rick's pants. Kate clenched her fists to stop her from punching the woman in the face. She then turned to Kate and said to call if she had anymore questions, winking at Castle as she strode toward the elevator. Ryan and Esposito caught the whole show and were now giving Castle enthusiastic high fives. He was once again playing his part perfectly, although his smile came no where close to reaching his eyes.

Hours later they still had nothing. Kate's eyes were dry from staring at the murder board. It was late, almost ten o'clock, and the bullpen was nearly empty. She felt Castle settle down next to her as his hand found her knee.

"Let's go home. We'll take a run at this is the morning with fresh eyes." She sighed, but couldn't disagree. She nodded and he pulled her to her feet. He helped her with her jacket and lightly guided her toward the elevator, his hand hovering over her lower back. Once inside she leaned fully against him. "Your place or mine?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What makes you think we'll be spending the night together?" She asked. He looked taken aback. She smirked and the dropped two fingers into his pocket fishing out the card. "Why don't you call _Jessica?" _A smile spread across his face as she waved the card in front of it. "What's with the smile and why in the hell is this still in your pocket?" His grin only widened and his blue eyes sparkled. He pulled her back to him lowering his mouth to her ear.

"Because I was hoping you'd go in and get it out for me." He winked at her as the doors opened to the lobby. She rolled her eyes and followed him out, a slight blush creeping up her neck.

_The rest of my life can't compare to this night_

_And only the heartaches have given me sight_

_They bring me to you_


	8. Undeniable

A/N: I don't own any of this.

Thanks for all the reviews, alerts and favorites! They make my day. Keep 'em coming!

**Undeniable**

_You're the only one who stuck it out last night_

_The only other one who caught the other line_

_You're the only one when this world collides_

_The one that I can't deny_

Kate had decided it was time to tell everyone, but Castle was being difficult about it. He was trying to plan some elaborate reveal that had her eyes rolling even more than usual.

"That will _never _happen Castle."

"But-"

"Never." She said cutting off whatever argument he had planned.

"It happens up here all the time," he smirked tapping his head. He turned back to his laptop and continued typing away. They were on the couch at his loft. She was leaning against the armrest with her legs over his lap, while his computer rested on a pillow covering her shins. She set the book she was reading down, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Really?" She asked shyly.

"Really." He breathed looking a little relieved she wasn't pissed at him. Actually, as he looked at her he found her expression to be quite the opposite of anger. She pushed his laptop shut and gently shoved it off of her legs. It landed with a light thud on the couch next to him. She then pulled herself up until she was straddling him.

"Me too." She whispered against his lips before kissing him.

"You..." He squeaked, then cleared his throat. "You have thought about us in the interrogation room?"

"Uh huh." She smiled and nodded while biting her lip. He growled and grabbed her waist, pulling her until their hips connected. She let out a groan but before things could progress any further they heard the front door open. Kate expertly slid off his lap and pulled his computer to replace her and cover his obvious arousal. He whimpered in protest as she picked her book back up, looking the perfect picture of non-chalance, just as Alexis entered the room.

"Hey guys."

"Hi, Alexis," Kate smiled at the girl.

"Hey, Pumpkin. How was your day?"

"It was good," she sighed as she fell into an arm chair. "What are you guys doing?"

"Just discussing how to come clean at the precinct," Kate answered after watching Castle open and shut his mouth several times.

"And...?" Alexis inquired.

"Ryan's wedding is in a couple weeks. We're just going to...not hold back I guess?"

"Nice. _Finally," _Alexis breathed. Kate smiled at the teen who had been badgering them for weeks to just get it over with already. "I'm surprised he's OK with something so simple." Alexis said nodding her head toward her dad.

"I can hear you," Castle grumbled. "And it's just so...boring. Don't you think it'd be better if in the middle of the precinct I just-"

"Lalala...I don't want to know," Alexis said, shaking her head and plugging her ears.

"Not gonna happen Castle. One, Gates would have a fit and two, there's no booze at the twelfth. At least when everyone starts asking very personal and inappropriate questions at the wedding I can drink to get through it." Kate explained.

"Fine, you win," he conceded. "I won't drag you into interrogation tomorrow and lay one on ya." Alexis skewed her face in disgust. "But, that means you still have two weeks left to try and _not_ give us away." Castle stated seriously.

"Oh shut up," Kate said playfully swatting his shoulder. He set his laptop on the coffee table and pulled her legs back across his thighs then flipped on the TV. Eventually Alexis grew bored and wandered upstairs to her bedroom. Castle waited until he heard his daughter's door click shut before pulling Kate back onto his lap.

"So...interrogation room huh?" Her eyes darkened as she looked into his. She nodded slowly, biting her lip again before whispering against his lips.

"Oh yeah..."

...

She _almost _made it.

It was the thursday before Ryan and Jenny's wedding. The _last_ day at the precinct for her until Monday. They were off rotation so that meant no body drop calls. So she had spent the day catching up on paperwork while Rick just watched her from his chair.

Around five o'clock she was ready to go. Her backlog had been cleared and her desk beyond organized. All she had to do was run a box down to evidence and she was free for three whole days. Rick offered to do it for her but she stupidly declined. It's not that she didn't trust him, she just wanted to know for herself that it was done properly. Had she just let him take care of it, she wouldn't have proved him so _damn_ right.

As she stepped off the elevator she noticed immediately that someone was sitting in her chair. It took all of two seconds longer to realize it was Jessica. That blonde bimbo who had stuck her hand in Kate's boyfriend's pocket just two weeks prior. Kate could feel her skin heating in anger. She made a quick scan of the room disappointed to see everyone in place at their desks. There was no way to 'mark her territory' without causing at least little bit of a scene.

_Crap._

Castle saw her before she could slip into the break room. His eyes wide pleading with her to help him. She gave a slight shake of her head and disappeared into the next room, busying herself by making a cup of coffee she didn't really want. Jessica's obnoxious voice carried easily to her and she gripped her mug tightly. The urge to hit this woman was startling strong. What was it about Castle that brought about this ridiculous bout of jealously. And there was really no rationalizing it as anything else at this point. She was jealous.

"Ricky, why haven't you called? I was hoping I could get you to take me to the MET fundraiser this weekend." The whine in Jessica's voice was grating her ears.

"Sorry, I have a wedding this weekend," he stated simply.

"Do you still need a plus one?" She flirted mercilessly.

"Nope. Already RSVP'd," Castle said quickly.

"Hey, Castle. We can fit a couple more if you want to bring a date," Ryan chirped.

_Shut up Ryan!_

She finally allowed herself a quick peek and found Rick looking just as annoyed as she felt.

"Perfect!" Jessica exclaimed clearly not picking up on the fact that he was not interested.

"Actually-" Kate heard Castle begin but she had had enough. Something inside her snapped as she set her mug in the sink. She smoothed her hands over her shirt and took a deep breath. She strode confidently toward Rick. He grinned and his shoulders immediately relaxed upon seeing her. Jessica noticed and turned to see what had brought such a smile to his face. Without looking at the blonde Kate dragged a hand across his shoulder and up into his hair. If he was surprised he did not show it. _Thank God._

"Hey Babe, you ready to go?" She asked, pretending to just now notice Jessica. "Oh hi. Jessica, right?"

"Uh, yeah..." The blonde sat unmoving, her jaw hanging open.

"Sorry to interrupt but we have dinner plans," Kate smiled falsely at her. Beckett heard pens dropping all around her as a chorus of whispers began. Castle quickly stood up helping Kate with her jacket before lacing his fingers with hers. She smiled at him, grateful he was just rolling with this. As they waited for the elevator he squeezed her hand. She looked up at him and waited for his eyes to find hers. Then, surprising even herself, she lightly brushed her lips across his. In front of _everyone._ As she stepped into the elevator a satisfied smirk graced Rick's face.

"So..." He cleared his throat.

"I swear to God Castle if you finish that sentence you will never see me naked again," She warned with a stern voice. He then coughed, choking on whatever he was going to say. She chanced a quick glance at him and found the biggest, brightest smile splitting his face nearly in two. "I hate you..." She mumbled. He pulled her against his side burying his nose in her hair.

"Nah, you _love _me."

_It's undeniable how brilliant you are_

_In an unreliable world you shine like a star_

_It's unforgettable now that we've come this far_

_It's unmistakeable that you're undeniable_


	9. Crazier

A/N: I don't own any of this.

Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. They are incredibly motivating. Also, I doubt Ryan and Jenny could afford this wedding, but I'm just pretending her family is well enough off.

**Crazier**

_You showed me something that I couldn't see_

_You opened my eyes and you made me believe_

She really had not thought this through.

Kate sat by herself in a pew while Castle was somewhere fulfilling his groomsman duties. Her little stunt in the bullpen two days ago was earning her plenty of looks from a few coworkers. Luckily Ryan only invited a handful of people from the precinct. It could have been worse. She sat looking straight ahead, her face was a blank mask. She refused to humor any of them.

Castle couldn't be doing any better. He had texted earlier when he'd arrived at the church. Ryan and Esposito had apparently pounced the second he was in the door. She had assured him that he was free to tell them whatever he wanted, but no actual details were to be discussed.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Lanie finally showed up, sliding into the pew next to her.

"Oh, thank God. What took you so long?" Kate hissed. Lanie raised an eyebrow smirking at the detective while noticing the unusual amount of eyes on the woman.

"Sorry, but it's not my fault you decided to go crazy jealous girlfriend the other day and now have to deal with the consequences."

"You heard about that?" Kate winced. Of course Esposito told her. Damnit.

"Uh, yeah. It was that blonde right? Javier said she was all over your boy and he couldn't figure out why Castle wasn't biting until you came strutting out to stake your claim. And, _then_ you don't even call me?"

"Sorry," Kate mumbled.

"Please tell me this puts an end to this ridiculous charade you guys are putting up?"

"I kissed him in the middle of the precinct, would anyone believe us if we tried denying it?" She stated sarcastically.

"Well, maybe. I don't think Javier is convinced. And since I promised I wouldn't rat you out I didn't mention catching you two a few weeks back."

"Thank you. And the plan is to just act all couple-y tonight. And let everyone make whatever assumptions they want," Kate whispered. The organist had started playing and conversation was beginning to die down.

"Thank you sweet baby Jesus." Lanie sing-songed quietly causing a chuckle to slip from Kate.

They both turned and watched as the wedding party began their procession. Kate bit her lip as Rick made his way down the isle. He looked _good _in his black tux. His eyes found hers almost immediately and he winked at her as he passed. Lanie softly elbowed her side humming her approval.

The ceremony was long. Both Ryan and Jenny were Irish Catholic and had decided to do a full mass. Not surprisingly Rick began to fidget about thirty minutes in. Almost an hour later they were finally married. The wedding party was immediately whisked away for photos in Central Park while Lanie and Kate made their way to the hotel the reception was being held at.

As soon as they entered the ballroom Kate made a bee-line for the bar grabbing some champagne for both herself and Lanie. They found a table in the corner to avoid any questions about her and Castle. She was hoping to keep the incessant nagging of her coworkers at bay until Rick could back her up.

To pass the time Kate recounted what actually happened with Jessica in the bullpen. Apparently a lot had been lost and completely twisted in translation. She assured the ME that nobody pulled anybody's hair. When she saw Karpowski bravely making her way toward them Kate quickly offered to grab them another round of drinks.

While waiting for the bartender to make her martini she felt arms sliding around her waist. _Finally._

"Hitting the hard stuff already, huh?" Rick whispered in her ear. She smiled turning in his arms and placing her palms against his chest.

"Yup. It's gonna be a long night." She could already feel several pairs of eyes on them. "How'd it go with the boys this morning?"

"It's hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure they think we're screwing with them." Kate laughed.

"That's what Lanie said too. Esposito's not buying it. You look very handsome, by the way."

"You..." He said pulling her closer until his mouth lined up with her ear again. "Look incredible. Absolutely stunning. I was having some very impure thoughts during the ceremony," he confessed. She felt her cheeks flush, imagining they were looking quite pink at the moment. She pulled back so she could see his face, tracing his lip with her thumb.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "There are a lot of people watching us right now," she whispered conspiratorially. He glanced over his shoulder and then back at her with a sly grin playing across his mouth.

"It's like they're waiting for something to hap-" She cut him off with a firm open mouthed kiss.

"Like that?" She asked innocently. He shook his head laughing.

"Yeah, like that," he said pressing another kiss to her lips.

Rick ordered a drink and they made their way back to Lanie. After their, well Kate's, impulsive actions on Thursday Ryan and arranged for Kate to sit next to Castle along with the rest of the wedding party. She pretended to be annoyed with him but was actually pleased. She had been saved from sitting with the rest of her coworkers alone. Although now she was sitting at the head table on display for everyone to see. At least the only people she had to make conversation with were Rick and Lanie.

As they twirled around the dance floor Kate thought about how nice it was to just be with him. Without worrying about who was watching or where they were. As if he could read her thoughts he squeezed her a little tighter.

They made it through a few dances before the wolves descended. She and Rick were leaning against the bar, waiting for their refills when Ryan and Esposito finally cornered them. Castle saw them coming first and lightly squeezed her hip to warn her.

"Hey boys."

"Beckett. Castle." Esposito said shortly. "What's going on here?" He demanded pointing at the lack of space between his boss and her shadow.

"Yeah, is this for real?" Ryan added causing Kate to roll her eyes.

"Yes, it's for real Ryan." Kate replied slowly, so he wouldn't miss anything. Rick was no help as he just grinned happily beside her.

"How long?" Esposito said skeptically. It was Kate's turn to smile. She grabbed her drink, handing Rick his, and then gripped his tie pulling him behind her.

"Your girlfriend won," she called over her shoulder to Esposito. "Let's dance babe."

...

"They're totally messing with us, bro." Esposito stated confidently. "Lanie bet they'd hook up over _two_ _months_ ago. There's no way they could have kept that from us."

"Yeah, we're detectives for crying out loud," added Ryan. The two men stood watching their boss as she danced with the writer. They were _really _dancing though. Castle's hands were getting lower and lower by the second.

"What in the hell are you two gawking at?" Lanie asked appearing beside Esposito.

"Beckett and Castle are messing with us," Ryan explained.

"And how is that?" Lanie inquired.

"They expect us to believe that they've been together for over two months and we just didn't notice." Esposito huffed. "And why did you tell Beckett about the bet?" he barked at Lanie. Her eyebrow rose at the accusation.

"Excuse me?" Lanie spat causing Esposito's face to fall. "I did no such thing. She already knew. _And_ I did win the bet." She added before walking away. Both men looked at each other and back at the supposed couple while they absorbed the ME's small outburst before turning back to each other shaking their heads.

"Nah," Ryan said.

"No way," Esposito agreed.

...

Later, after Ryan and Jenny had made their exit, Kate and Rick found themselves back on the dance floor once again wrapped around each other. The song playing was slow and sweet. Lanie and Esposito were dancing as well. Rick let out a soft chuckle when he caught Esposito staring at them _again._ Kate pulled back at the sound, tilting her head back so she could see his face.

"What?" she inquired.

"Esposito still thinks we're screwing with him," he smiled down at her.

"Oh yeah?" she said looking over her shoulder. Esposito quickly diverted his attention failing to do so before she caught him. She returned her gaze to Rick and mischievous glint in her eye. She pulled him close. "Wanna get out of here?" she whispered against his cheek. A slow grin spread over his face.

"I've got a better idea." She arched a brow wondering what exactly would top _that. _"I _may_ have reserved us a room upstairs." Kate felt a jolt a desire wind through her. Before the song finished playing she was pulling him toward the lobby. "So I take it you like my plan, Detective?" He mumbled into her hair as she sidled up to the front desk.

She turned her head toward him and nodded slowly. She leaned in for a kiss while they waited for their reservation to be pulled up.

"Yo. What are you guys doing?" Esposito yelled from across the room. Kate grabbed the keycards from off the counter top nodding her thanks to the woman and then pressed them to Castle's chest. She turned toward the elevator bay while answering Javier.

"We're getting a room..." She called back. Castle smirked behind her, appreciating her dress from behind. From the look on Esposito's face he was beginning to believe them. But just in case any doubt remained, Castle turned Kate pressing her against the wall next to the elevators kissing her deeply while pressing the up button. She smile against his lips wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think you convinced him," she whispered causing any thoughts outside of her to melt away.

"Don't care," he whispered back. Kate laughed as they disappeared into the elevator.

...

Esposito stood with his mouth hanging open. Lanie rolled her eyes grabbing his chin, picking his jaw up off the floor for him.

"So...they're actually..." he trailed off as she nodded. "for _two_ months?"

"Almost three," she said grinning. "Which means I won." She turned heading toward the hotel's exit.

"Why aren't you freaking out about this and squealing like a little girl?" He asked following her. Lanie simply shrugged her shoulders, avoiding his eyes. He stopped walking abruptly. "You _knew!_ You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Relax baby, she didn't _tell_ me anything. I _caught_ them. So believe me when I tell you, it is real."

"_Finally." _Esposito breathed while pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Javier Esposito," Lanie chided. "If you are even thinking of calling Ryan right now..."

_" _Wha-I was just going to text him real quick," he stuttered. Lanie shook her head taking the phone from him.'

"Nuh-uh. It's his wedding night. The man is _busy." _She turned finally reaching the front door. Esposito followed her, pouting the whole way.

_You lift my feet of the ground_

_You spin me around_

_You make me crazier. crazier_

_Feels like I'm falling_

_And I get lost in your eyes_


	10. Hazy

A/N: I do not own any of this.

Well, this is it. I have a sequel of sorts in mind that I may write. Thank you to everyone for reading. I really appreciate all the reviews, alerts and favorites.

**Hazy**

_What if I fall and hurt myself_

_Would you know how to fix me_

_What if I went and lost myself_

_Would you know where to find me_

_If I forgot who I am, _

_Would you please remind me oh_

_Cause without you things go hazy_

"_Where is he?_" Beckett all but screamed at Esposito.

"Beckett, he's OK. He's in that bus." He said pointing to the ambulance that was sitting about 50 yards from where they were standing. Before he could tell her anything else she was gone, sprinting toward the lights. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest, breaths coming short and ragged. The lump that arose when she heard he'd been hit was attempting to fight its way out.

She _finally _reached the front of the vehicle quickly scrambling her way to the back. He was sitting on the back bumper, feet firmly on the ground. His shirt had been cut off along with his vest that lay on the ground at his feet. Her eyes immediately found the bruise forming across his torso. She couldn't stop the strangled sob that broke free. His eyes flew up to hers. He looked scared. Or maybe it was just a reflection of how she felt. They maintained eye contact while the paramedic finished wrapping his ribs. The woman then mumbled something neither one of them heard and disappeared to the front of the ambulance.

"I'm OK," He murmured. She shook her head as the tears she'd been holding in finally spilled over.

"Rick," she breathed as she closed the distance between them wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. She kissed his neck and began to work her way up to his jaw and finally reaching his mouth. They kissed frantically for a minute before breaking apart. Castle winced as he tried to pull some oxygen into his lungs. "Sorry," Kate mumbled. He gave her a small smile.

"Please, don't _ever_ apologize for kissing me." She smiled softly at him brushing her fingers across his cheeks.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

"What in the hell happened Castle?" She sighed.

"First, I would like you to know, for the most part I listened to you..."

"For the most part?"

"...But when I heard the shots fired I got out of the car." Her eyes grew wide but he barreled on. "To put my vest on which as it turns out was a pretty good idea," he finished quietly. Tears had worked their way out of her again. Castle brushed them away with his thumbs as he mumbled assurances to her.

"What am I going to tell Alexis?" She asked.

"You let me worry about Alexis," he replied resting his forehead against hers. They stayed that way until the paramedic returned offering Castle a blanket. He nodded his thanks.

"Is he going to be all right?" Kate said addressing the woman. The paramedic then quickly glanced at Rick and back to the detective.

"I'm fine Kate-" She held up a finger effectively silencing him.

"I wasn't asking you," Kate said firmly.

"I suggested he go to the hospital, just to double check that there's no internal bleeding. He refused." She threw Rick an apologetic look and once again made herself scarce.

"Really, I'm fine-" Kate began shaking her head vehemently.

"If the situation were reversed would you let me go home?" She asked raising her eyebrows. He sighed and his shoulders dropped, no verbal confirmation needed.

"That's what I thought," she said quietly, nudging his knees apart and settling herself between them. His hands lightly gripped the back of her thighs. Her hands found purchase in his hair, her nose against his neck. She breathed deep, inhaling that scent that was unique to him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry baby," her voice was raw and shaking. He pulled back finding her eyes.

"Hey, it's not your fault. And I'm fine, OK?" He said as he cradled her face in his hands. "Got it? Not. Your. Fault." He pleaded, begging her to believe him. She nodded her head and then pressed another kiss to his mouth, making sure to keep it short and not quite as breathtaking as the last one.

"I love you, so much." She said against his lips. He pulled her into another embrace, returning the sentiment over and over again. Finally, giving his neck a final squeeze, she pulled away from him. "Let's get you to the hospital."

He grumbled but didn't argue.

With intertwined hands they made their way across the crime scene toward her Crown VIc. Along the way they came across Espostio and Ryan, who clearly had been watching their interaction and hiding it poorly.

"Hey guys, do you think you can finish up here? I'm going to take Castle to the hospital." They both nodded, apparently unable to form words. It had been over a month since they outed their relationship but adhered to strict no PDA rules while in the precinct or any work related event.

"You just shattered every single one of your rules babe," he mumbled to her as they walked away from the boys. She suppressed a smile and shook her head.

"I think the circumstances warranted it," she said seriously.

"So does that mean..." He was cut off before he could finish the thought.

"No. You don't get to break the rules. I made 'em, I get to break 'em," she stated.

"Well that's no fun," Castle mumbled as he gingerly lowered himself into the passenger seat. "Good thing you break them kind of a lot." He added as she turned the ignition. She leveled a half-hearted glare at him.

"I _do_ not," she lied.

...

Four hours later they were finally back at the loft. Kate had put Castle to bed immediately. She then showered before joining him. As she laid on her side, propped up on an elbow watching his chest rise and fall, the emotions of the day washed over her. Her hand lightly trailed his hairline. And just when she thought she had expelled all the tears she possessed when she broke down earlier in the shower, a fresh batch made their way down her cheeks. She silently accepted something she'd been fighting for years, a smile stretching across her tired, damp face.

He was her one. She was done.

_I watched you sleeping_

_Quietly in my bed_

_You don't know this now _

_But there's some things that need to be said_

_And it's all that I can hear_

_It's more than I can bare_


End file.
